Of Swords and Tridents
by Divine Psyche
Summary: 'Praetors work closely together. It's common for them to become romantically involved.' In which Percy falls for Reyna and Reyna tries to contain the urge to act like a lovesick daughter of Venus. Percy, Reyna.
1. A is for Apologies

**I've been having writer's block lately, and since I've always wanted to do a Percy/Reyna fiction, I figured, why not do an Alphabet Soup? Bear in mind that all of these take place **_**before**_** the Argo II, which has been delayed and will only be landing in a couple of weeks time, comes to Camp Jupiter so there will be no appearance of any of the Camp Half-Blood-ers. Oh, and before I forget, credit to SweetDragonSeeker, whose story gave me the idea for this.**

_'Praetors work closely together. It's common for them to become romantically involved.' -Reyna, The Son of Neptune_

**Apologies**

_An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything._

_~ Lynn Johnson ~_

'Reyna?' Said girl let out a sigh as she reluctantly looked up from the report she was currently writing.

'Yes, Percy?' The raven-haired beauty asked impatiently, rising from her seat so she could look her fellow Praetor in the eye. If she had learnt anything from her sister, it was to make sure that men knew that women were every bit as good, if not better, as they were. 'Where are you been all day, anyway? If I recall correctly, you promised that you would be here at 10.'

She took a second to drink in the sight in front of her- the son of Nep- excuse her, _Poseidon_, looked strikingly handsome, if not slightly uncomfortable, in his new toga set: Reyna herself had picked out the snow-coloured lilen to set off the deep Purple of the Praetor Cloak. She watched as he ran a hand through his windswept jet black hair, longer and messier than regulation permitted, momentarily allowing her an unobstructed view of his entrancing sea green eyes, before they were half-covered again. For a brief moment, Reyna wanted nothing more than to brush his hair away, to get a good look of that pair of warm, gorgeous green-

Reyna shook her head, blotting the image out of her mind. What in Pluto's name was wrong with her? She was Reyna, daughter of the War Goddess! She did not have fantasies about sons of Poseidon! No, that was the daughters of Venus' jobs, not her's.

She tuned back into the conversation, just in time to catch the end of whatever Percy had come to talk to her about. '- and I still haven't apologised.' He was saying, fiddling with his Praetor medals nervously.

Stepping out from behind her polished desk, Reyna slapped his hand lightly, 'Do not fiddle with your medals, Percy. Even though you are not a true child of Rome, you _are_ the Legion's elected Praetor. The first thing every legionnaire learns is to not display any signs of weakness.' Then, almost as an afterthought, 'Apologise for what? Leaving me to the paperwork?'

If Percy was annoyed that she hadn't listened to him, he didn't show it. Instead, his hand rose to fiddle with his medals again, before dropping to the edges of his toga. If Reyna had not been so impatient to hear what he had to say so she could return to her work, she would have chastised him. She simply motioned for him to continue.

Lowering his eyes, Percy mumbled something under his breath, too quietly and quickly for her to catch.

'What?' Reyna asked, annoyed. 'I would appreciate it if you would speak louder when you talk to me.'

The son of the sea god sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and locking his eyes with hers, 'I said that I've never apologised for destroying your home.'

Reyna's throat constricted, and her fingers curled into a fist as memories of that horrible day flooded her mind. Her other hand curled around the sheath of her dagger, but she resisted the urge to stab him. _It was Blackbeard's fault, not Percy's. It wasn't his fault that the daughter of Athena unleashed the pirates. Blackbeard and the pirates burnt down your home, not Percy. Percy is innocentinnocentinnocent._ She reminded herself, taking a deep breath.

'It was not you who destroyed my home,' Reyna said finally, releasing her Imperial Gold blade, 'Blackbeard and his pirates were the ones who set fire to the island. All you were trying to do was complete your quest. I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes.' That last part was a lie. She would have thought about the consequences following her actions. She would have tried to help the women living on the island escape instead of leaving them in the hands of Blackbeard and his pirates. She would have done _something_ instead of just leaving, completely disregarding everyone else inhabiting the island.

Judging by the look on Percy's face, he clearly didn't believe a single word Reyna was saying. 'But if Annabeth and I hadn't arrived at your island, you and Hylla would still-'

'If you and the daughter of Athena hadn't gone to _Circe's_ island,' She interrupted him, making sure to put emphasis on 'Circe's', 'Hylla and I would be mindless barbie dolls. Hylla would never have become the Queen of the Amazons. I would never have come to Camp Jupiter and achieve the rank of Praetor. In a way. my sister and I owe all of our present success to you.' She had no idea why she was trying to make him feel better about himself. All she knew was that seeing his lips twitch into a sheepish smile made her feel better than she had all day.

'Well, if you put it that way...' He hesitated for a moment, then offered her his hand, 'I'm guessing you've been here since 10. It's cupcake day at the bakery, and I heard from Hazel that they're running out of red velvets... Want to go and get one while they're still there?'

There was a slight pause as Reyna mulled over his offer. She still had a mountain load of paperwork she needed to finish by today, but on the other hand, here was an undeniably gorgeous boy asking her to get a cupcake with him.

So, instead of asking him who told him that red velvet cupcakes were her favourite, Reyna placed her hand in his hesitantly but firmly. 'I would like that, Praetor Percy.' She said, tilting her head up slightly so she could look him in the eye.

A bright smile formed on said Praetor's face as he tightened his grip on her hand, gently tugging her out of her office.

_If you had never gone to Circe's island, I never would have come to Camp Jupiter and fallen for you._

**The ending was kind of fluffy, but what can I say? I'll probably be updating this weekly, so... Review! Constructive criticism accepted, but no mindless slander please.**


	2. B is for Belong

**Just a little A/N before you continue with the story. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could tell me what you think some of the letters could stand for, because I have a few I still need to fill up. Thanks in advance :D Oh, and one more thing. This one isn't a direct sequel of A. It takes place later, which may explain why Reyna and Percy are much more comfortable with each other. And without further ado...**

_'Praetors work closely together. It's common for them to become romantically involved.' -Reyna, The Son of Neptune_

**Belong**

_By building relations we create a source of love and personal pride and belonging that makes living in a chaotic world easier._

_Susan Lieberman_

'No.' Reyna said, her tone firm as she crossed her arms over her chest. The two Praetors were currently occupying two wicker chairs in their shared backyard, engaged in a playful argument.

'Come on, Rey,' Percy coaxed, 'Just take a bite. It tastes just like the normal ones do, I promise.'

'For the hundredth time, Perseus Jackson, no! I refuse to eat that... _thing_.' The war goddess' daughter snapped, glaring at the offending substance. 'And don't call me "Rey". You and I both know that my name is _Reyna_. Would you like me to spell that out for you?'

Percy plastered a look of faux hurt on his features as he leaned back into his chair, but he couldn't keep it up for long, and eventually let an amused smirk take its place. 'The thing has a name, Rey-Rey,' He informed her, ignoring Reyna's death-ray glare, 'It's called a blue velvet cupcake. The only difference between yours,' Percy gestured to the half-eaten red confection perched on Reyna's lap, 'and mine is the colour. And when you think about it, isn't blue a much better colour than red is?'

Reyna pursed her lips, refusing to budge, 'Red velvet cupcakes are meant to be, well, _red_.' She insisted stubbornly. 'A "blue velvet cupcake", as you put it, is unconventional, out-of-place, like a Red Sox fan in the middle of a sea-full of Yankees, like-'

'Me?' That single-worded answer cut Reyna deeply, and her dark eyes widened slightly as her fellow Praetor smiled at her. It wasn't the goofy, lopsided smile she had gotten used to, though. No, this smile was bitter, twisted, as if the Universe had just played a cruel trick on him. It looked out of place on his face, which was usually as bright and open as Julia's.

'Don't be foolish, Percy. You fit in...' Reyna trailed off as she saw the lack of backing behind her statement. The truth was, Percy _didn't_ fit in. He was a Greek Hero in the midst of a legion of Roman Warriors. His shirt was bright orange; theirs were royal purple. He was sweet and funny and unpredictable as the churning ocean; they were heartless and disciplined and as constant as the clouds above.

Percy was still watching her with that dark smile, making him look like an actor playing a villain. _He was certainly handsome enough to be one,_ Reyna caught herself thinking.

'Except not really.' He said quietly, but Reyna heard him anyway. She tilted her head to the side slightly, unsure of how to console him. She had never really been one for comforting words, preferring to settle scores out on the battle field instead. She began to grow a little panicked as nothing came to mind, and her hand stretched reflexively towards her ever-present Imperial Gold dagger.

Just as her fingers were about to touch the polished hilt, a warm hand closed over her's, pulling it onto the table.

Reyna lifted her dark eyes towards the son of Poseidon, who was looking at her with a strange look, as if he was trying to decide whether she was going to stab him for touching her without her permission.

Though, instead of voicing his question like she thought he would, her fellow Praetor simply smiled at her again. This time, his smile had lost most of its prior darkness, only a hint of sadness in his eyes proving his previous broodiness.

'It's okay, you don't have to say anything. Just... stay with me for a little while longer, will you?' Percy asks, his words tinted with a hint of hopefulness.

Reyna took one look at his eyes and couldn't find it in her icy cold heart to refuse. Instead, reaching over the table with her free hand, she carefully picked up the neon blue cupcake and bit into it. At first, she was hesitant, but as the familiar sweetness sinked in, she swallowed it and allowed a small smile to form on her lips.

'Sometimes,' Reyna said, a little hesitant as she searched her mind for the right words, 'What we might find suspicious or strange at first because it is not like us turns out to be sweet and brings us happiness, even in the darkest of times. Like... This blue velvet cupcake.' _Did I actually just categorise a person with a cupcake?_ Reyna groaned inwardly as she caught sight of the bemused expression on Percy's face.

'That came out wrong.' Reyna said, flustered, struggling for words as her cheeks flushed red. 'What I meant was that new experiences are good for you. No, I mean that-'

Reyna was cut off as an amused Percy laughed softly, his green eyes lighting up.

'I think I understand what you meant, Reyna.' He told her when the chuckles subsided, 'Thank you.' He added as he rose, pulling her up with him, as he gently wrapped her into a grateful hug, her face resting in his purple tee-shirt.

Reyna could practically hear her heart going on overdrive as she instinctively hugged him back, breathing in the scent of the sea.

When she tilted her head up, she found his eyes boring right into her's. 'Percy...' She murmured.

Before she could say anything (for some reason, she didn't exactly want to push him away from her), the sliding door from Percy's house opened and the two Praetors froze, their heads turning towards the entrance.

'Hey, Percy. Hazel and I were thinking of going to the archery range, want to-?' The daughter of Pluto and son of Mars stopped dead in their tracks as they saw her next to him.

'Frank! Hazel, hey.' Percy said sheepishly, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

'Uhm, hey Percy.' Hazel said hesitantly, her eyes darting from Reyna to Percy to Frank and then back to her Praetors. 'I'm sorry, were we interrupting something?'

Reyna was suddenly all too aware of the position she and Percy were in, and how others could misinterpret it. She wasn't about to go into details, but the two were currently in a situation where most people would tell them to 'get a room'.

Both of them sprung away from each other at the same time, their cheeks hot.

'Don't be imprudent, Legionnaire,' Reyna snapped with an annoyed scowl, still blushing as she gripped her dagger tightly, 'You were interrupting nothing. Praetor Percy and I were simply discussing the Fifth Cohort's new regiment. If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now.' With a final curt nod, the daughter of Bellona turned on her heel and re-entered her house, her usual emotionless mask back on her face.

It was certainly a contradiction to the churning whirlwind of emotions spinning inside of her. _You're an idiot, Percy. Of course you belong. You belong at Camp Jupiter, in New Rome, with the Legion, and... Maybe with me?_ Reyna grinded her teeth together, aggravated by the Venus-like thoughts swirling around in her usually straightforward brain. But still, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened had Hazel and Frank not barged in when they had.

Perhaps they would have- _No. He has a girlfriend. And you have Jason._ Reyna told herself, trying to picture her long-time friend in her mind. But seeing the good-looking son of Jupiter didn't bring butterflies to her tummy like it usually did.

Even though she would never admit it, the only boy who made her heart beat nowadays was a certain son of the sea god.

**. . .**

Perhaps if she could have heard what was going on inside a certain someone's mind right then, she would have been mollified.

_So close_.

Those two words would have meant the world to Reyna, and sped up their impending, romantic relationship. But sadly, Reyna was not telepathic and could not hear Percy's thoughts.

Don't be worried, though, for their story together has not ended.

In fact, it's only just begun.

**And there you have it. The ending was clichéd, but I just couldn't help myself. Anyways, I want to say a really big THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed/favourited/subbed. As I'm really interested in Reyna's character, I found writing her (eventual) courtship with Percy really fun to write. Percabeth is too... expected nowadays. Anyway... Until next week.**

**Love it? Hate it? Tell me about it. **


	3. C is for Cabin

**Sorry for the late update~ In my defence, I had to prep for my exams, so.. Anyway, I wasn't really happy about how this chapter turned out, but I was rushing, okay? And C is really hard to write about. I promise that the next chapter will be much better. And longer. So, without further ado...**

_'Praetors work closely together. It's common for them to become romantically involved.' -Reyna, The Son of Neptune_

**Cabin**

_Of all the husbands on the earth, The sailor has the finest berth, For in 'is cabin he can sit, And sail and sail and let 'er knit_

_~ Wallace Irwin ~_

'A _what_?' Reyna looked at her fellow Praetor with incredulity evident in her usually emotionless brown eyes, her bow-shaped lips curved in a perfect 'o' of surprise.

The green-eyed son of Poseidon wore a smirk on his face as he answered, 'Don't play dumb with me, Reyna. You and I both know you heard me the first time.'

Reyna just shook her head as she composed herself, resuming her customary cold disposition, all evidence of her previous bafflement wiped away from her regal features. 'Of course I did, Percy.' She said with no little annoyance, 'Do you think of me as a fool? I was assuming that you were being your usual joking self.'

Percy put on a look of mock hurt, covering his mouth in an exaggerated fashion. 'Why, Reyna! Really! Name me one time where I have ever joked.'

'Hmm, let me think,' Reyna said, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her chair, 'Oh yeah! Remember yesterday, when you planted a whoopee cushion on Octavian's senate seat? Or the day before, when you drew a whip cream moustache on Frank's face? Or last week, when you switched the First Cohort's weapons for balloon animals? Or-'

'Okay, okay, I get it.' Percy interrupted her mid-rant, holding up his hands in the universal surrender sign. 'So maybe I haven't been completely serious all the time-' He continued, ignoring Reyna's snort, 'But I'm telling you that I am now. I mean, seriously, replacing the tents with cabins in each cohort is a genius idea!'

Reyna leaned forward, resting her head on her hand as she tuned out his voice, choosing to not listen to the benefits of building cabins. She observed that his eyes had lit up as he spoke, something that happened whenever he was passionate about something. And try as hard as she might, she couldn't help but let her mouth curve into a miniscule smile at his enthusiasm. It was rare to find such people among the New Romans anymore. In fact, she noted with a slight frown taking the place of her previous smile, the last person she knew to have this particular character trait had been-

'Hey, Reyna! Are you listening to me?' Reyna blinked, and found a pair of green eyes looking at her with a mixture of annoyance, amusement, and concern.

'Of course I was,' Reyna lied glibly without batting an eyelash.

Percy looked at her, his expression filled with doubt. Nevertheless, he continued his little speech, and Reyna zoned out again.

Right, the last person she had known to show passion had been her mentor/ex-Praetor, Julian, who was currently attending college in the city. She supposed that Jason had showed enthusiasm from time to time, but now, as she watched Percy gesture with his hands and ramble on and on, Jason might as well have been a rock compared to him. For the second time that day, an unbidden smile graced her features. Percy had to be the most interesting person she had the pleasure to be acquainted with.

'HA!' Reyna blinked at Percy blankly as he jabbed a finger at her. 'I knew you weren't paying attention. Because if you were, you would have slapped me when I said that I had switched your clothes with plastic bags!' He said triumphantly.

There was a slight pause as both of them digested his proclamation.

'You did _what_?' Reyna asked, her tone dangerous as she rose from her seat, one hand gripping the hilt of her dagger tightly as she fixed Percy with a triple-death glare.

'H-hey now, Reyna,' He said with a nervous chuckle, 'I didn't _really_ do it. And even if I did, you have no pr-' Percy cut himself off as he reflexively ducked as Reyna threw her dagger at him.

'Perseus Jackson, you are _dead_.'

**. . .**

_In the Fifth Cohort..._

Frank and Hazel looked up abruptly as the heard a loud shriek.

'Didn't that sound like-?' Frank asked, looking at his girlfriend with confusion.

The gold-eyed girl just shrugged in response. 'Nah. It must just be a coincidence.'

'AAAHHHH! I SAID I WAS SORRY, REYNA!'

The two exchanged a look. 'Or not.'


	4. D is for Dance

'_Praetors work closely together. It is common for them to become romantically involved.' –Reyna, The Son of Neptune_

**Dance**

'There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.'

~Edwin Denby~

Reyna was not having a good day.

She had just left the Senate House after a… 'discussion' about the Greeks with Octavian that had taken up most of the morning. She had won, speaking figuratively, in the end, but just barely. And although she would never admit it, she was taxed, and wanted nothing more than to collapse on her bed. But she couldn't, of course, because she still had a long, long list of things to do –it was her duty as Praetor, after all- before she could even think of going to sleep-

Speaking of Praetors, where in Jupiter's name was Percy, anyway?

Reyna had sent a message through a _Probatio_ that he was to meet her at the Senate House for a meeting called by Octavian, but he had never shown up.

Reyna _really_ hated being blown off.

She was going to hunt that son of Poseidon down and castrate him with her Gladius for leaving her to fend off Octavian by herself…

But the abnormally large and chatter-y crowd was not helping in the slightest.

Girls were running all over New Rome, their eyes bright with excitement as they wove in and out of various clothing stores while boys were mooching around at a much slower place, grumbling to each other loudly, though Reyna noted that there was a spark in their eyes that was usually only present before War Games.

Now curious, her hand shot out to catch the collar of a passing brunette.

The petite girl whipped around, her eyes blazing as her mouth opened, ready to give the offender a piece of her mind- before composing herself when she realised that it was her Praetor.

'P-Praetor.' The girl -Reyna vaguely recognised her as a Legionnaire from the fourth division- saluted immediately.

Reyna inclined her head in acknowledgement of the greeting. 'Tell me, Legionnaire, what is going on today?' She waved her hand lightly to indicate the hub-bub around them.

The brunette's eyes lit up at once, 'Haven't you heard, Praetor? Praetor Percy announced that we're going to have a Dance tonight! Everyone's going crazy trying to find something to wear and a date to go with.'

Reyna blinked, trying to process the information. 'A… Dance.' She repeated slowly.

The girl nodded cheerfully. 'Yup! Praetor Percy told the Centurions to spread the word this morning, and the Venus kids are all going crazy trying to decorate the venue in time-'

'That will be all, Legionnaire.' Reyna cut her off crisply, letting go of the girl's collar.

Scratch that- she was going to castrate Percy with her Gladius, revive him, chain him to a chair and let Aurum and Argentum maul him to death.

She started towards the Pomerian Line, her eyes flashing with annoyance. She had to put a stop to this nonsense- didn't Percy realise that they didn't have time to waste on frivolities as trivial as a _Dance_? The cohorts needed to train- Jupiter knew that they would need it in the upcoming war against Gaia.

Along the way, she felt somebody tug on her arm, pulling her away from the chaos, and she whirled around, ready to punch the person. Did she mention that she was having a bad day?

'Well, someone's in a bad mood.' Heather White, daughter of Venus, Centurion of the Second Cohort, and one of the few people in Camp Jupiter that could call Reyna a friend smiled at her, cerulean eyes sparkling.

Reyna sighed, 'Do you need something?' She asked tiredly. Sure, Heather was a friend, but she could be a handful at times (read: practically all the time).

'Where are you going?' Heather asked, ignoring Reyna's question in favour of her own.

'To speak to someone.' She replied vaguely. 'I don't see how it's any of your business, Heather.'

Heather's eyes narrowed, becoming uncharacteristically serious. 'It is most certainly my business if you're going to try to call off the dance tonight.'

Reyna frowned. 'And so what if I am? Investing more time in training will be much more beneficial for everyone than spending time at some dance-'

'Really, Reyna?' She sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair. 'Look, you know Percy better than I do. He's not the type of guy who does things without a reason, no matter how stupid they may seem to everybody else. But… I have a feeling that the reason behind his actions this time is important. Just… try to trust him on this one, okay? I don't know about the other cohorts, but I know mine has been working their asses off and they deserve a break, Reyna.'

Reyna looked at Heather, faintly surprised, though it didn't show on her face. If the normally sceptic Heather was willing to put her faith in Percy, who she hardly even knew… Then she, as the closest person to Percy except maybe for Hazel and Frank, should be confident in him, too, shouldn't she?

'Okay,' Reyna said finally, ignoring Heather's squeal of joy as she reverted to her usual ball-of-sunshine self, 'Okay.'

'Now that that's settled…' Heather smirked, 'Let's go get you a dress, shall we?'

'W-What-? Hey, I never agreed to any of this-!'

**PERCY**

Percy was surprised that Reyna hadn't stormed into his room wielding her Gladius yet. It was half past six, and the prom was officially in starting in less than twenty minutes. He had returned to his housing a few minutes ago to get dressed, having spent most of the day helping the Venus kids and a couple of other volunteers set up the venue, which was basically a circular tent in the middle of New Rome the Trivia kids had enchanted to be way bigger on the inside, kind of like the tents in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

'Hey Percy, you done yet?' The door opened as Frank poked his head in.

'Yeah, come on in, man,' Percy said, turning around to look at him with a lopsided grin. 'Where's Hazel?' He added, noticing the absence of the last member of their trio.

'Right behind me,' Frank said as he walked in, 'He's decent!' He yelled out the door.

Hazel walked in after a heartbeat, rolling her eyes, 'I can hear you, you don't need to shout.' She grumbled, but she was smiling good-naturedly.

'Whoa, Percy, you look good.' She added, a faint pink blush appearing on her cheeks as she took in her friend's appearance.

'Really?' Percy looked at his reflection- he was wearing a suit so purple it was almost black, a white dress shirt, and a gold tie. He figured that donning the uniform Praetor colours instead of his favoured oceanic shades wouldn't harm his chances of coming out alive from the impending confrontation with Reyna.

'Yeah.' The blush had mostly faded from her cheeks when he turned around.

'Thanks,' Percy said with a smile, 'You and Frank look good too. Very… Couple-y.'

Hazel looked youthful and pretty in a strappy knee-length light blue sundress printed with tiny yellow daisies that popped out against her coffee-coloured skin, springy brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Frank had copied her colour scheme, in a white shirt, yellow tie, and blue pants, and the two looked every bit a couple.

'Thanks,' Frank said, mirroring Percy's smile. 'Anyway, ready to go?'

Percy sighed, running a hand through his already tousled raven black hair. 'It's a good a time as any. I'm going to get mauled by Reyna either way.'

**. . .**

'_Wow_.' Hazel's gold eyes were bright with wonder as the three entered the tent. She wasn't the only one- practically all of the campers who were inside were looking around in wonderment, walking around with their mouths slightly parted.

Percy smiled triumphantly- _success_. His plan had worked out perfectly. The tent was filled with happy campers, nymphs going around offering finger food and beverages and Lares fading in and out of sight.

It looked like a more elegant version of the proms Percy had been to in the past, only, he felt, the people enjoying this one deserved it way more.

After sending the happy couple off to enjoy some alone time, Percy walked around the venue, stopping occasionally to talk to a camper or two he recognised, killing time before he had to make an opening speech, which the Venus kids had insisted on, crediting him with the whole idea.

As he was pulled into a conversation with Dakota about the benefits of Cool Aid, the loud chatter around them suddenly faded into muted muttering and gasps.

Curious, Percy followed the gazes of everyone else to the entrance, where two girls were standing.

The first was an extremely pretty blue-eyed blonde clad in a sparkly dress with a poufy crinoline skirt who Percy recognised as Heather White, daughter of Venus and Centurion of the Second Cohort.

Most of the stares were focused on the second girl though.

The girl looked simply stunning, to say the least, in a floor-length deep purple dress with an asymmetrical, toga-inspired neckline. A gold rope belt emphasised the empire cut flawlessly, and a pair of matching stilettos finished the outfit. Her brownish black hair was half up half down, and piercing dark eyes surveyed the tent. He was too far away to determine the emotion that they held, if any.

Those very same eyes stopped on him as green locked with brown.

_Reyna._

**REYNA**

She had to admit- Percy did a good job.

The… tent -she had been sceptical when Heather had told her to go in- was spacious, easily accommodating the hundreds of campers with space still left over, and decorated appropriately in shades of purple and gold, lit up by random floating lanterns.

'Everyone's staring at you, Reyna.' Heather whispered, and Reyna could practically hear her smirking.

Ignoring Heather, Reyna surveyed the crowd, looking for Percy- their talk was long overdue.

_There he is_.

Her eyes locked with his, and she almost blushed as she took in his appearance. He looked even more handsome than usual, she noted, but that was beside the point.

Reyna started moving in his direction, taking it slowly as she re-adjusted to wearing heels. The last time she had worn them was during her stay with Circe.

Reyna was relieved as her campers stopped staring at her and started conversing again. Although she was used to the attention, she still hated it.

'Percy,' she said, inclining her head slightly as she stopped in front of him. She was childishly pleased to find out that with her heels on, she came up to his chin instead of just his chest. He was annoyingly tall in that way, just like Jason was.

'Reyna.' He echoed, blinking. Clearing his throat, he shot her a lopsided grin. 'You look beautiful tonight.'

This time, Reyna couldn't hold back the pink that tinted her cheeks. 'Thank you. You do too,' She said, before blanching. 'Uhm, I meant you look handsome.' She corrected herself amidst his chuckles, inwardly cursing herself for making such a stupid blunder.

'Thanks,' Percy said, his sea green eyes alight with amusement.

Reyna composed herself quickly, steeling her eyes, 'Can we talk? Privately, I mean.'

Percy checked his watch, 'Can it wait?'

She frowned, 'Why?'

Before he could answer, the lights around them dimmed and a spotlight centred on the stage.

Blinking, Reyna turned towards the stage, immediately recognising Heather.

Heather tapped on the microphone once before bringing it up to her lips. '_Hello, Camp Jupiter_!' She shouted in Latin.

Cheers erupted through the crowd immediately.

Heather beamed as she waited for the noise to die down.

'Anyway, to officially open the dance, let's hear it for our Praetor and the one who made this all possible- PER-CAY JACKSON!'

As cheers rang out again, the crowd parted like the red sea to let Percy pass through.

'Go on,' Reyna said when he hesitated, glancing back at her.

Percy's green eyes flashed with determination once as he grabbed her hand, pulling her along with him. Reyna let him to do more out of shock than out of willingness.

As they went up the stage together, there were a few catcalls that Reyna immediately silenced with a glare.

'It's all yours, buddy,' Heather said with a grin, passing the microphone to him.

'Thanks,' Percy mirrored her smile as he took it from her, letting go of Reyna's hand in the process.

She scolded herself for feeling disappointed, and turned slightly so she was angled towards Percy, curious as to what his speech would be about.

'Uhm, hey,' Percy began, and Reyna rolled her eyes at his predictable start, 'So… I'm Percy Jackson. Your Praetor. But you all already know that.' The crowd chuckled good-naturedly as he ran a hand through his tousled black locks.

'I've always hated long speeches, so I'll keep this short.' Percy began, 'You're all probably wondering the reason behind my sudden decision to hold a Dance. It's simple, really. You guys deserve it, more than anyone I've ever known.' Percy held up his hand before the cheers could escalate.

'But that isn't the only reason.' Reyna was close enough to notice that his sea green eyes, normally bright and carefree, darkened rapidly, 'Look, I'm not going to mince my words. Most of us here have gone through war more than once- and the approaching one against the Giants will add another to the growing list. And although I want nothing more than to assure you that all of us will come out of it alive- I can't. Because it's not true. Be it one or ten or twenty, there _will_ be casualties. And it won't be pretty.

'I can't promise you that in the midst of war, I'll be able to protect each and every one of you. And I'm not going to, because the whole point of promises is for them to be kept. What I can promise you, though, is one night where you don't have to worry about monsters, or getting promoted, or any of that-

'I can promise you one night where we can just be normal teenagers.'

There was a long period of silence as everyone took in Percy's words, Reyna included. Her eyes were wide. Whatever she was expecting- it wasn't this.

A slow clap broke the silence, and all eyes turned to Heather. Heather's blue eyes were shining, tears threatening to spill out, but she was clapping steadily and surely. Reyna joined in after a heartbeat, followed by one or two others, and then there was thunderous applause all around them.

Percy smiled slightly, 'Thank you.' He handed the microphone back to Heather.

Heather dabbed at the edges of her eyes as she brought her microphone back to her lips. 'I don't know about you guys, but that was the best speech I've ever heard.' She said, her voice shaky, over the on-going applause. 'But enough of all that sad stuff. Let's take advantage of that promise- I invite our Praetors Percy and Reyna to officially open the Dance. Praetors, if you'll please take the first Dance…?'

Reyna's eyes widened slightly as Percy offered her his hand with his signature lopsided smile. 'Well, you heard her. May I have this dance, milady?'

Reyna laughed softly at his goofiness as she placed her palm in his. 'You may.' She replied, playing along. One night, just one night where she could pretend that they were _normal_. Just one night. Surely one night wouldn't hurt.

He led her to the middle of the dance floor, pulling her to his chest as he led her in a slow waltz, the spotlight coming to focus on them.

'I didn't know you could dance- let alone waltz.' Reyna said as he spun her around lightly.

'I'm hurt,' Percy said drily, 'Anyway, I didn't, not until this afternoon. The Venus kids gave me a crash course.'

Reyna smiled slightly, 'Why am I not surprised?'

They shared a laugh, and Percy smirked at her. 'I knew I'd get through to you eventually.'

Reyna rolled her eyes, 'Just for tonight, Percy, just for tonight.'

'That's what you think.'

And there was something about the way his eyes sparkled and burned into her own -_it was the first time a boy had ever looked at her that way-_ that she just–

Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his cheek, letting it linger there, 'You're a good guy, Percy.' She whispered into his ear.

Because tonight, they weren't the daughter of Bellona and the son of Poseidon, they weren't a Roman and a Greek, they weren't the two people who the whole camp depended on-

They were just a boy and a girl, who were very much in like with each other.

They just didn't know it yet.

**So… Hey there. I know, I know, I haven't updated in forever but in my defence, I was studying for one of the biggest examinations in my life! I'm happy to tell you guys that it paid off :) Anyway, I'll try to update more in the future, mmkay? Hope this extra long chapter makes up for my absence. Alert me if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes, please~**


	5. E is for Early

**So… Hey there. This will probably be my last update for a while, because I'm going back to school tomorrow. And I know you guys deserve a longer chapter, but I really couldn't think of anything to write. Anyway, enjoy~**

'_Praetors work closely together. It is common for them to become romantically involved.' –Reyna, The Son of Neptune_

**Early**

'The early bird catches the worm.'

Reyna was sprawled across her chair in a most undignified manner, but she was honestly too drained to care. She hadn't had the chance to rest for the past 48 hours other than the brief breaks in between the endless stream of meetings, courtesy of a certain irate legacy of Apollo.

It was now well into the wee hours of the morning, and she had just finished the mountain of paperwork that had been presented to her. Percy had retired somewhere into the twentieth stack at her insistence. The son of Poseidon wasn't used to the late nights and early mornings that came with being a Praetor, and noticing that his penmanship had become illegible (well, more so than usual, anyway), Reyna sent him off to bed, even if it meant more work for her.

That was the only reason. It wasn't like she actually cared about his well-being. Because she didn't. _Really_.

Reyna stifled a yawn as she felt her eyelids droop further. With the adrenaline of yelling at Octavian wearing off, the lack of sleep lately was finally catching up to her.

_Oh, what the hell. It's not like anyone's going to see me_.

Giving in to temptation, she shut her eyes.

She was just going to rest her eyes for a few moments. It wasn't like she would fall asleep.

…

A pen fell to the floor as the raven-haired beauty slumped forward, soft, even breathing the only sound in the silence of the Senate House.

Percy stifled a yawn as he strode towards the Senate House briskly, clutching a paper bag from the downtown deli in either hand.

It was 7 in the morning, and already New Rome was booming with life. Shopkeepers had set up for the day, and students strolled past in groups, chatting brightly as they moved towards the University campus. A troop of legionnaires on patrol duty saluted to him as they ran past (in perfect harmony, of course). He nodded back with an absentminded smile, his mind still very much fixed on his destination.

He had been cooped up in the Senate House for the better part of the night, obediently slaving through paperwork even when the words had gotten so blurry he might have accidentally signed an approval slip to let some citizen sue one of the Centurions for castrating her teddy bear. He hadn't even had the energy to protest when Reyna kicked him out, saying something about him being dead on his feet and getting sleep before slamming the door in his face.

Percy grimaced slightly. Knowing Reyna, she'd never let him live it down.

He stifled another yawn- he had only managed to catch around 5 hours of sleep before his alarm bell had gone off. Then again, Reyna had probably gotten even less. She always pushed herself hard, refusing to admit defeat, especially in the face of paperwork.

Percy pulled a face. Give him fighting an evil overlord any day.

He paused as he arrived at the entrance of the Senate House. He pushed the door inwards with his shoulder, calling out Reyna's name as he strode towards the interconnected Praetor Office, transferring his bags to his left hand as he fumbled for the key Reyna had given to him after his official coronation, promising a very painful death if she found out that he had brought anyone inside.

'Reyna?' He called as he opened the door. 'Listen, I'm really sorry about yester-'

Percy cut himself off, his eyes wide as he took in the scene.

Reyna was leaning forward, her head cushioned by a stack of paperwork, glossy black curls fanning out around her coffee ice cream-coloured face.

The bags fell from his hand as he moved forward, as if in a trance, his sea green eyes fixed on the girl's face.

Her expression was so unguarded, so peaceful, so- so _vulnerable_. She looked so very young, very lovely when she was asleep, when the constant worry and stress had left her face, when her ice cold mask wasn't fixed on her face, when he couldn't see the haunted, hollow look in her eyes that the previous wars she had participated in had left as a souvenir.

_Ah._ There she was. The girl he had found himself falling for whenever she deigned to make an appearance, who had unknowingly wheedled her way into the very centre of his heart, Over time, he had grown fond of the other girl, with her bloodied Gladius and eyes as cold as ice, grown fond of their endless debates and the sweet taste of success when he coaxed the other out.

It was a long process, tiring and sometimes fruitless, but when the walls really did come crashing down and he saw a glimpse of the other girl –an unbidden peal of laughter, a smile that was brighter than the suns above, a few words clumsily pieced together with a dust of pink on her cheeks-, it was worth it.

His hand moved forward by itself, gently brushing a stray lock away from her delicate features (and she looked so fragile, so breakable like this).

Percy's fist tightened as he pulled away quietly, moving around the room with a practiced, silent grace, placing the bags on the desk, draping his toga around her, locking the door behind him firmly as he left.

He would give his life to protect this enigma of a girl, with her conflicting personality and queenly grace and quiet, steady support. He would not let the war take her away from him. Because if it did-

If it did, he might fall back into the darkness.

And there would be no one to pull him back out.

**So… Yeah. I just wrote everything on an impulse, so… It wasn't supposed to turn out like that. It was supposed to be light and fluffy, but it came out like this. Uhm, I don't know what to say. It's really different from the theme, but… You get it, right? Like, Reyna would probably have woken up if Percy had been later, and… Yeah. So, uhm, review, I suppose. The more reviews I have, the more encouraged I become. And I know that my readers exist. Most of you just don't review. Until next time~**


	6. F is for Faith

'_Praetors work closely together. It is common for them to become romantically involved.' –Reyna, The Son of Neptune_

**Faith**

'Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.'

-Martin Luther King Jr

**. . .**

Reyna watched, her brown eyes sharp and critical, as the boy (whose name she couldn't quite place her finger on) lunged forward, his Gladius arcing towards his opponent, an elfin blonde –Hally? Hailey? The girl sidestepped, neatly avoiding his blade as she moved to thrust her own into his side, a fatal strike that would declare her the winner of the match. Moved being the keyword.

Reyna's eyes narrowed as the girl hesitated, a flash of doubt appearing on her face as she faltered.

It gave the boy the time he needed to recover from his stumble. Whipping around, he brought his sword down towards the girl, who barely managed to bring up her own weapon to meet it, sparks flying as the Imperial Gold collided.

The boy's face was a mask of grim determination as he pushed forward, using his superior strength to his advantage.

Just as he was about to overwhelm the tiny girl, Reyna spoke.

'Legionnaires.'

The two immediately sheathed their weapons, standing at attention as they waited for Reyna's assessment.

'Hailey.' She said evenly, fixing her eyes on the girl.

The blonde squirmed under Reyna's piercing gaze, casting a glance at the boy next to her, who refused to meet her gaze. 'Actually, Praetor, my name is H-'

'_Legionnaire_.' Reyna snapped. It had been a long day and she was tired of continuously berating legionnaires for shoddy footwork and clumsy swings and damn if she would let this chipmunk of a girl correct her. The blonde immediately shut her mouth, her gaze returning to her. 'Tell me what you did wrong.'

'I… I hesitated in delivering a strike which could have made me the winner of the match, Praetor.'

'Exactly, Legionnaire. Now tell me, would an enemy ever hesitate in taking your life?'

'No, Praetor.'

'Exactly. That little stunt of yours would have cost you your life if this had been a real battle, perhaps the lives of others as well. I couldn't care less if you're friends with him,' she said, jerking a finger in the boy's direction, 'In this arena you are _enemies._ I want you to spar with him with the intent to win, Legionnaire. We did not come to be known as the greatest empire in history by being merciful. It's pathetic, _Hailey_. Have I made myself clear?'

'Crystal, Praetor!'

Reyna turned towards the boy. 'And you… You're too slow. You need to up your defence. You can't just rely on brute force, or you'll be killed.' Without warning, she lunged forward, as swift and graceful as a panther. In a flash, she had her Gladius pressed against his neck.

Impassive dark eyes met startled blue. 'Understood?'

'Yes, Praetor.' To his credit, he didn't stutter in his reply.

'Carry on.'

Turning her back on the familiar sound of swords being drawn, Reyna stalked away, a slight frown on her lips, barely noticing the Legionnaires around her pausing in their spars to make way for her, bowing lowly as she passed.

She didn't understand why the girl had hesitated- or rather, she understood, but wished that she didn't. Because it meant that she had grown soft, that the Romans, _her people_, the ones that were famous for being able to take a life without flinching, had grown soft.

Sure, so far it had only been that one girl, but it only took one person for an epidemic to spread, didn't it?

Reyna sighed. It was the worst possible time for this to happen. She couldn't have her soldiers getting stage fright, especially now of all times. She frowned- they needed to step up the training. She had been too soft on them recently.

'So…' She was jolted out of her thoughts by a familiar voice, and found herself staring into a pair of sea green eyes. 'That was kind of harsh.'

Reyna suppressed the urge to roll her eyes (that was coming from the person who had decided the best way to teach swordsmanship was to make the campers practice their forms at the bottom of the sea until one of them had passed out from lack of air. When she had confronted him about the issue, he claimed that he had simply "forgotten" about making air bubbles. The twinkle in his eyes had told her otherwise), and instead pressed her lips together tightly.

'I doubt that he would have gotten what I was trying to tell him into his skull otherwise,' she replied crisply, speeding up. She was annoyed when Percy kept pace with her effortlessly, matching her stride for stride as she breezed into the empty armoury. Curse his longer legs.

'Yeah, well, he'll certainly remember it now. A near-death experience isn't exactly something that someone forgets.'

Reyna's eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip on a sleek dagger, refusing to turn around and look at him. 'Well, everything worked out just perfectly then, didn't it? Maybe he'll even put it to use, and he'll actually be half-decent instead of utterly pathetic and save someone's life instead of jeopardising another's!' She snapped, losing her cool for a moment. She took a moment to calm herself. How was it that Percy could make her lose her carefully crafted cool without even trying, when so many others had failed in the past?

'The upcoming war isn't going to be easy, Percy,' she said quietly, reigning in her fiery temper and inwardly berating herself for her lapse in control. 'The last one certainly wasn't. We lost a lot of good people in that war, some of whom died paying the price for another's careless mistake, Percy, and I have a feeling- I _know_ that this one isn't going to be any different. Call it a daughter of War's intuition. No, if anything, the previous one will pale in comparison. And I'll be damned if someone will die when I could have prevented it. I-'

She was whirled around, abruptly cutting her off. Brown eyes were wide as he gently cupped her cheek, his thumb ghosting across her face. It was a phantom warmth, and at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to lean into it, though the logical part of her mind was screaming at her to pull away. Before she could do anything though, the warmth was gone, and in its place was a pair of sea green eyes.

'Shh.' He said softly. It was unneeded, though- Reyna had been silent the moment he touched her. He half-smiled then, a soft thing that left her even more wide-eyed, if that was even possible.

He studied her for a moment, and she was pleased that she didn't squirm under the unwavering, intense gaze.

When he finally opened his mouth to speak, she blinked at the lightness in his voice.

'Don't worry, Reyna.' Casually. 'We're survivors. Fighting is in our blood.'

He took a step back away from her. A careless grin, free and lazy. 'Have a little faith, Rey. It'll be okay.'

Turning, he walked out of the armoury, gone as fast as he had arrived, leaving Reyna staring at his back.

_Have a little faith, huh?_

An ironic smile.

He hadn't once assured her that they were going to win.

**. . .**

**Uhm… Hey. It's me. I know that I probably should have done a longer chapter (and one that was less rushed), but I've been kind of busy lately, which is why I haven't really been able to reply to any of your reviews. Thanks for all the support, though. It means a lot, and I hope that more of you guys will start providing some constructive feedback, too. ^^**

**/EDITED/**


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